POSTMODERN THEORY

In the late twentieth century, some social thinkers looked at the proliferation of theories and
data and began to question whether we could ever know society or ourselves with any
certainty. What is truth, and who has the right to claim it? Or, for that matter, what is reality,
and how can it be known? In an era of increasing doubt and cynicism, has meaning become
meaningless? Postmodernism, a theory that encompasses a wide range of areas—from art
and architecture, music and film, to communications and technology—addresses these and
other questions.

The postmodern perspective developed primarily out of the French intellectual scene in the
second half of the twentieth century and is still associated with three of its most important
proponents. It’s probably worth noting that postmodernists themselves don’t really like that
label, but nonetheless Jacques Derrida (1930–2004), Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007), and
Michel Foucault (1926–1984) are the major figures most often included in the group.

In order to understand postmodernism, we first need to juxtapose it with modernism, the

movement against which it reacted. Modernism is both a historical period and an ideological
stance that began with the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, or Age of Reason. Modernist
thought values scientific knowledge, a linear (or timeline-like) view of history, and a belief in
the universality of human nature. In postmodernism, on the other hand, there
are no absolutes—no claims to truth, reason, right, order, or stability. Everything is therefore
relative—fragmented, temporary, and contingent. Postmodernists believe that certainty
is illusory and prefer to play with the possibilities created by fluidity, complexity,
multidimensionality, and even nonsense. They propose that there are no universal human
truths from which we can interpret the meaning of existence. On one hand, postmodernism
can be celebrated as a liberating influence that rescues us from the stifling effects of
rationality and tradition. On the other hand, it can be condemned as a detrimental influence
that imprisons us in a world of relativity, nihilism, and chaos.

Postmodernists are also critical of what they call “grand narratives,” overarching stories and
theories that justify dominant beliefs and give a (false) sense of order and coherence to the
world. Postmodernists are interested in deconstruction, or taking apart and examining these
stories and theories. For example, they claim that “factual” accounts of history are no more
accurate than those that might be found in fiction. They prefer the notion of mini-narratives,
or small-scale stories, that describe individual or group practices rather than narratives that
attempt to be universal or global. These mini-narratives can then be combined in a variety of
ways, creating a collage of meaning.

One way of understanding what postmodernism looks like is to examine how it has crept into
our popular culture. Hip-hop is an example of a postmodern art form. It is a hybrid that
borrows from other established genres, from rhythm and blues to rock and reggae. Hip-hop
also takes samples from existing songs, mixes these with new musical tracks, and overlays it
all with rap lyrics, resulting in a unique new sound. Mash-ups are another postmodern twist
in music. Take, for instance, the Grey Album by DJ Danger Mouse, which uses tracks from
the Beatles’ classic White Album and combines them with Jay-Z’s Black Album to create
something wholly new yet borrowed.

Many resist the postmodern position against essential meaning or truth; the rise in religious
fundamentalism may be a reaction to the postmodern view, an expression of the desire to
return to absolute truths and steadfast traditions. Sociologists are quick to criticize
postmodernism for discarding the scientific method and the knowledge they believe it has
generated. Social leaders with a conservative agenda have been suspicious of the postmodern
impulse to dismiss moral standards. While it is clear that many people criticize
postmodernism, a much larger number are probably oblivious to it, which in itself may be
more damning than any other response.

Although it is not a widely practiced perspective, postmodernism has nevertheless gained

supporters. Those who challenge the status quo, whether in the arts, politics, or the academy,
find attractive postmodernism’s ability to embrace a multiplicity of powerful and promising
alternatives. At the very least, postmodernism allows us to question scientific ideals about
clarity and coherence, revealing inherent shortcomings and weaknesses in our current
arguments and providing a way toward a deeper, more nuanced understanding of social life.
As one of the most contemporary of the theoretical perspectives, postmodernism corresponds
to the Information Age and feels natural and intuitive for many students whose lives are
immersed in this world. By focusing on individuals and small-scale activities in which
change happens on a local, limited basis, postmodernism offers an alternative to such cultural
trends as consumerism and globalization. However unwelcome the theory might be to some
critics, it is likely that the postmodern shifts we have seen in society (in music and films, for
example) will continue.